Poland - Eastern Europe - page 405

the area around Plac Trzech Krzy 9 y. For clubs, most of the action is still in the central city,
2 ródmie 1 cie, though some of the trendier places are pioneering areas farther afield, like
the still-somewhat-dingy (but getting cooler) suburb of Praga.
The Cinnamon Stylish, high-powered disco/dance club, complete with velvet ropes
and monkeys guarding the door. Draws a well-dressed, good-looking crowd, from 20s
to 40s, with thick wallets (for him) and slinky dresses (for her). The party doesn't usu-
ally get rolling until after midnight. Plac Pilsudskiego 1. & 022/323-76-00. www.thecinnamon.pl.
Foksal 19 A truly beautiful cocktail bar with drinking the main pursuit on the main
level and a “Boogie Nights”-inspired dance club upstairs. Similar in vibe and clientele
to “The Cinnamon,” but the music is more interesting—not just the standard Ibiza
dance tunes, but eclectic house and funk. Foksal 19. & 022/829-29-55. www.foksal19.com.
Jazz HotL Relatively recently opened jazz club, with a growing repertoire of good
shows and a great location between Old Town and the central city. Decent choice for
a low-key but enjoyable evening of music and conversation. The restaurant is on the
pricey side. Krakowskie Przedmie1cie 13. & 022/826-74-66. www.jazzhotl.pl.
Melodia A former swanky haunt in Communist times, it's now a dark-wood,
upscale bar and restaurant, popular with the business crowd. Decent food and occa-
sional jazz and other live performances. Good spot for a quiet drink. Nowy 2wiat 3/5.
& 022/583-01-80. www.klubmelodia.pl.
Opium Pleasure Lounge A popular chill-out bar and music club, with a vaguely
Middle Eastern, Persian theme. Popular with the beautiful crowd, and it doesn't really get
going until very late. Open until 4am (closed Sun-Tues). Wierzbowa 9/11. & 022/827-71-61.
Pewex A kind of Commie-throwback experience. Pewex stores, in the bad old days,
were state-run hard-currency stores, where imported goods—everything from “Lee
Cooper” jeans to bottles of “Fa” shampoo—were priced in dollars and available only
to the lucky few. Pewex is filled with kitschy '70s memorabilia and lots of good-
natured irony. Closes at 11pm, so a better place to start an evening than to end one.
Nowy 2wiat 22/28. & 022/826-54-81.
Sheesha Bar Yet another late-night drinking spot offering those ubiquitous
hookahs, and with a strong Middle Eastern, North African theme. Popular with stu-
dents, and a nice spot to relax and converse. Sienkiewicza 3. & 022/828-25-25.
Trakt Fabryczny Funky performance art space in the down-at-heel Warsaw suburb
of Praga (on the right side of the Vistula River). Praga is slowly, slowly gentrifying and
places like this are drawing people here from all parts of the city. There's no regular
program, and the opening hours are spotty, but Friday and Saturday nights usually
offer something interesting in the form of DJs or live music. Otwocka 14. No phone.
LÓD4
110km (65 miles) SW of Warsaw
Poland's second-largest city's nickname is the “Manchester of Poland,” a reference to
L ód 3 's rise in the 19th century as an industrial powerhouse, and to the vast textile
mills here that employed tens of thousands of workers at the turn of the 20th century.
For Americans, the hulking relics and depressed housing stock of a bygone industrial
era will bring to mind the inner cities of Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland. Still, there's
an energy and vitality here that many Polish cities lack, and if you're passing by, L ód 3